Article Pages

43. Constantine “Gus” Cotsonas (1966-1968)

Served 2 Years

Gus Cotsonas was born January 19, 1913, in Manhasset and was the son of George and Margaret (Luckert) Cotsonas. He married Edna Fogel in August of 1937 and spent 14 Years (1936-1949) with the Manhasset Lakeville Fire Department prior to moving to Hicksville.

Gus was a Veteran of World War II, and he enlisted in April of 1944 and served through December of 1945, in the United States Navy as a Signalman.

Gus and Edna moved to 14 Gables Road, in Hicksville. He was employed as a Salesman for a Baking Company. Gus joined Protection Hook and Ladder Co. 1 on March 13, 1951, and was given badge 646. He was elected as 2nd Lieutenant in 1956, 1st Lieutenant in 1957 and went onto serve as their Captain in 1958 and 1959. Gus was elected as 3rd Assistant Chief in 1959-1961, 2nd Assistant Chief 1962-1964, and 1st Assistant Chief 1964-1966 before rising to rank as the 43rd Fire Chief in 1966 through 1968. His Assistant Chiefs were Cliff Davis (1st), Mel Voorhies (2nd) and Louis “Red” Mertz (3rd).

Tragedy struck the Department right after the new year in 1966, when a fire of unknown origin destroyed the first-floor home at 10 Lowell Place, taking the life of 9-year-old Ann Marie Baker. She was the younger sister of Company 5’s Edwin Baker. She apparently was cut off from her mother and father who had been sleeping in another first-floor bedroom when the fire swept their home. The child’s mother and father escaped through a bedroom window after intense heat prevented them from entering and reaching the child, who was found lying in a bathroom by firemen. Three neighbors, Raymond Malfatti, Thomas Theiss and Thomas Jr. smashed a window of the Baker house to try and rescue the girl. Her brother Edwin was serving overseas in the Navy on leave from the fire department, when this tragedy occurred.

During his term as Chief in August of 1966, there was a fire that occurred in a vacant store on 75 Broadway owned by Mary Braun and formerly occupied by United Auto Stores next door to the bingo hall.

Because of the increased duties that came with the Department’s floodlight truck, the department organized a deputy squad and asked for volunteers from other Companies to assist. Eventually, several members stayed on to become charter members of the newly organized Floodlight Company 8 on September 29, 1966. Captain Joseph Graham, along with Lieutenants Cono "Nick" Brigandi and James Nastasi were sworn in by Chairman Harold Hawuxhurst, and Chief Gus Cotsonas.

Firefighters battled a stubborn fire at the McKeon’s Lumber Company Warehouse on Old Country Road, near the LIRR crossing. The alarm was sounded at 11:57 AM and the firemen were at the scene for a long, hard fight. The McKeon Warehouse was a big frame wooden structure and years ago was known as the Hicksville Lumber Company. Flames roared through the 300-foot corrugated structure which contained garden products and fertilizer. The Law Office that occupied the front of the building was also destroyed. The flames collapsed the roof and rear wall before it was brought under control after several hours.

In April, five teenagers died in a tragic car and train collision at the New South Road grade crossing shortly before midnight. The impact of the collision scattered parts of the car along 200 feet of track and four of the victims were tossed out of the vehicle. Firemen arrived shortly after the crash but could not save a single life.

Three young males were arrested in connection with a fire in the Hicksville School District Administration School. The district central warehouse was vandalized when a fire was discovered early in the morning of July. The damage was described as “considerable’’ and could run into tens of thousands of dollars. The fire was reported by an automatic smoke detector system and seventy-two men responded. Their prompt and efficient action was credited with curtailing damage. The vast first floor of the Administration building was damaged by intense heat and smoke filled the second story administration office area.

Gus was honored as the Honorary Grand Marshal at the Annual Labor Day Parade & Drill. Chief Cotsonas passed away on April 2, 1995, and is interred at the Brookville Cemetery.

Chief Cotsonas is shown on this page at a few of his fires under his command.

Site Security Provided by: Click here to verify this site's security